We owe the Italians grazie for many great things: straight roads, chic fashion, Prosecco and Pavarotti. And, with a season of al fresco everything here, for aperitivo too.
For what is a picky bits dinner if not a very British take on the long-held Italian tradition? A nibble here; a dip there; salty, savoury morsels skewered on a toothpick to soak up drinks sipped in golden light. Delightful.
When it comes to aperitivo, come for the snacks - but stay for the drinks. Conceived as a pre-dinner ritual, aperitivo comes from the Latin aperire, or ‘to open’; in this case, open the appetite. Drinks are carefully mixed to awaken the digestive system for the evening feast to follow. Think of it as the glutton’s version of pre-marathon stretching.
Typically low in ABV, aperitivo serves tend to have a bitter flavour profile and are laden with so many botanicals, they could (almost, if you squint) pass as a health drink.
Chances are, the first drink that springs to mind when thinking of aperitivo is the much-revered Aperol Spritz. Certainly, it is the most popular in northeastern Italian cities like Venice (not to mention swathes of east London).
But should you find yourself in deepest Tuscany, as I did earlier this year, you’ll notice that there’s one brand that crops up more than most: Amaro Santoni.
The proudly independent company makes award-winning craft liqueurs using an old family recipe from the 1960s. Chinese rhubarb is the star of the show, sweetened with beetroot sugar, and backed by an entourage of 34 botanicals, including iris and olive leaf.
The result? A bitter yet sweet 16 per cent ABV liqueur that shines in cocktails like a Negroni rosa, a Paloma, a spritz, or simply over ice.
Production still takes place in Santoni’s hometown of Chianciano Terme. It’s textbook Tuscany: a cobbled old town nestled amongst verdant countryside, surrounded by rolling hills and cypress trees. Amaro Santoni employs and trains locals, often generations of families, supporting the local economy and workforce while upholding its commitment to la famiglia.
Amaro Santoni’s scenic HQ is just a few hours drive from Florence, the Renaissance city from which the brand draws much of its identity.
You can tell as much looking at the bottle of its latest addition, Santoni L’Aperitivo. It is brimming with nods to Firenze, from the faceted bottle top and fluted red glass inspired by the iconic Duomo, to the shape of the label, which echoes 15th century engravings found in Medieval Italian churches. If the brief was to create a look that stands out on drinks trolleys and back bars while, handily, also being incredibly gift-worthy, Amaro Santoni has nailed it. Take a bottle the next time you’re invited to a dinner party. Trust me, your host will be thrilled.
What started in a tiny Tuscan town in the middle of the last century has since spilled out across the globe. Pay a visit to any smart cocktail bar, and you’ll spot a bottle of Amaro Santoni on the shelf. In London, the complex, floral liqueur has found a home on the back bars of The Ritz, The Shard, The Donovan Bar in Mayfair, and Michelin-starred restaurant LUCA to name a few.
The beauty of Santoni L’Aperitivo is that you can easily recreate bar-quality drinks at home, even if you’re a novice mixologist. There’s plenty of cocktail inspiration online.
My favourite for seeing out summer? The Sgroppino, which calls for a scoop of lemon sorbet and a splash of Prosecco alongside a measure of Amaro Santoni, the whole thing tied up with a rhubarb ‘ribbon’ garnish. So pretty, so refreshing. So easy.
If you’re looking to shake up your aperitivo game this summer, give it a try. Just don’t forget the snacks.
